Can runway



March 14, 1961 Filed 001;. 50, 1957 F. J. STACEY ETAL 2,974,775

CAN RUNWAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TUE/VS /i00 TUE/VS 5 i500 wen/5f,

7000 Tue/v.5

INVENTORS FRANK J. STACEY CHARLES M. SCHULZ BY m 1%,,

ATTORNEYS March 14, 1961 F. J. STACEY ETAL 2,974,775

CAN RUNWAY Filed Oct. 50, 1957 2"SheetsSheet 2 INVENTORS FRANK J'. STACEY CHARLES M. SCHULZ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 'CAN RUNWAY Frank 3. Stacey, Lyndhnrst, and Charles M. Schulz, Du-

mont, N.J., assignors to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 30, 1957, Ser. No. 693,472

6 Claims. (Cl. 198-41) The present invention relates to can runways and the like and has particular reference to magnetic transfer devices for controlling the flow of the cans along the runways.

An object of the invention is to produce in a can runway, a magnetic pulling force on cans rolling along the runway, so as to propel the cans along substantially horizontal runway sections, or along overhead sections spanning a gap such as in can dividers, or along inclined sections designed to gradually elevate the cans from one level to a higher level.

Another object is to produce through magnetic forces, an acceleration of the cans in the runway so as to speed up the travel of the cans through certain runway sections to augment their momentum or to produce suificient momentum when starting from rest to carry them over certain runway sections.

Another object is to provide for stripping the cans away from the magnetic pulling force at the termination of the magnetic section of the runway so as to overcome any tendency of the cans to stop moving in this section and thereby build up to cause a jam.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the inven-' tion will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a runway embodying the instant invention, the view including a wiring diagram of the electrical devices used in the runway;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with certain of the parts in a different position;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the runway;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the runway portion shown in Fig. 4, as viewed from the right in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the runway portion shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 7-7 in Fig. 5.

Briefly the invention provides a magnetic transfer device A (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) for controlling the flow of sheet metal, magnetizable, cylindrical cans or containers B rolling on their sides in processional order along a runway or through a system of runways. This transfer device A is designed to create along a portion of a runway a magnetic field which increases in intensity from one end of the runway portion to its opposite end so as to produce an increasing magnetic pull or attracting force on cans rolling along the runway and to thereby result in an accelcrating or forced propelling action on the cans. The device may also be used to retard the speed of travel of the cans as desired.

The transfer device A is readily applicable to propelling cans B uphill along slightly inclined runways as shown in Fig. 3 or to transferring cans across gaps or open spaces in runways or in can dividers commonly used in runway systems as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or in starting the rolling action of cans at rest or upon occasions when a reversal of the rolling direction becomes necessary and may be even used to reduce the speed of fast rolling cans to a desirable speed if required.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a portion of a runway system which' includes the magnetic transfer device A in a can divider C. In such a runway system the cans B roll on their sides at high speed in a single line procession along an inlet runway D connected to the divider.

Upon entering the divider, the magnetic transfer device A, disposed in a position above the path of travel of the cans, takes over the support of the cans by magnetic attraction and propels them along the transfer device over a gap in the divider in a continuing straight line procession. Upon passing the gap in the divider, the cans are stripped ofi the transfer device and are released to a continuing outlet runway E.

Since the cans B upon leaving the inlet runway D are rotating in a different direction than that relative to the magnetic transfer device A, they temporarily cease rotating when attracted to the transfer device and then begin rotation in the opposite direction. It is here that the transfer device accelerates and thus tends to maintain the high speed travel of the cans through the runway system.

The outlet runway E preferably leads to a subsequent operation machine. When a jam occurs in such a machine the cans build up in the outlet runway E. Under such conditions provision is made to cause the magnetic transfer device to release the cans into the gap in the divider where they fall into an auxiliary outlet runway P which guides them to any suitable place of deposit or to a second subsequent operation machine.

The entire runway system preferably is disposed in a slightly declining position so as to facilitate rolling of the cans therethrough by gravitational forces. The cans are fed into the system from a can elevator or other machine.

The inlet runway D preferably comprises a pair of spaced and parallel angle irons 22 (Figs. 1 and 2) which constitute tracks which lead from an elevator or other machine and which support and guide the cans along a predetermined path of travel to the divider unit C. The divider unit C is connected to the discharge end of the inlet runway D.

The divider unit C preferably comprises a U-shaped housing 24 having a steeply sloping bottom wall 25 and a pair of spaced and parallel upright side walls 26 of substantially triangular shape. The top of the housing 24 is open. This housing 24 preferably is made of nonmagnetic materials. At the entrance or inlet end of the housing 24 (the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2) the side walls 26 are of a height slightly greater than the angle irons 22 of the inlet runway D and are connected to the ends of the angle irons so that the side walls 26 and the bottom wall 25 form a smooth but steeply sloping continuation of the inlet runway D.

At the exit end of the housing 24 (at the right as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2) the side walls 26 are considerably higher than the entrance end and are connected to Y the two outlet runways E, F. These two outlet runof travel. A pair of spaced and parallel, generally triangular and vertically disposed guiide plates 31, 32 attached to the inner faces of the divider housing side walls 26 in spaced relation thereto (see also Figs. 3, 4 and 5) and having upper and lower guiding edges 33, 34 are provided to guide the cans B into the upper or main outlet runway E and the lower or auxiliary outlet runway F.

The magnetic transfer device A is disposed in the open top of the divider housing 24 between the housing side walls 26. This device preferably comprises an electromagnet 35 having a pair of spaced and parallel, pear or oblong shaped side or pole plates 36 secured to a series of intervening, longitudinally aligned and adjacently disposed cores around which a continuous strand of wire is wound to provide a series of magnets having windings of a progressively increasing number of turns. By way of example, Fig. 7 of the drawings shows a magnet having three cores 37, 38, 39. In winding these cores, preferably 1500 turns of wire is wound on core 39, then the wire is taken over core 38 and around cores 38 and 39 for another 1500 turns, and finally taken over core 37 and around all the cores for another 4000 turns. This results in a magnet in which core 37 has a winding of 4006 turns, and core 33 a winding of 5500 turns, and core 39 a winding of 7000 turns. Hence when an electric current is applied to the magnet, a series of magnetic fields of progressively increasing intensity are set up along the magnet pole plates 36.

In order to project these magnetic fields of increasing intensity into and along the upper portion of the divider C between the inlet runway D and the main or upper outlet runway E, the magnet 35 is disposed in a position such that its lower edge is substantially parallel with the desired path of travel of the cans with the side plates 36 of the magnet secured to the adjacent side walls 26 of the divider housing 24, preferably in spaced relation thereto. Guide and stripper plates 40 of nonmagnetic material are attached to the magnet side plates 36 to guide the cans as they advance along the transfer device and to strip them off the magnet 35 as they approach the outlet runway E. For these purposes the plates 40 preferably are formed with a lower tapered edge 41 which gradually declines from the magnet core 37 to and beyond the magnet core 39 and which is spaced below the windings of the cores to progressively draw the cans away from the magnet until they are'beyond the practical holding capacity of the last core 39.

The magnetic transfer device A preferably is maintained in an energized condition so as to support the cans B. Hence as the cans B roll down the inlet runway D into the divider C they enter the magnetic field set up by the energized magnet 35 and are thus attracted to the magnetand are simultaneously propelled therealong over the gap in the divider at an accelerated or progressively increasing rate of travel until stripped off by'the tapered into the path of travel of the cans and is connected by a link 47 to one end of a pivotally mounted and weighted balance beam 48. The balance beam is connected to and aotuates a normally closed electric switch 49, such as a mercury switch. This switch is connected by a pair of wires 51, 52 which connect with the magnet 35, one of the wires being also connected to a source of electric current such as a generator 54.

In operation, cans B delivered into and rolling along the outlet runway E merely roll over the switch rod 46 without affecting it. However when the cans back up onto the rod 46 as shown in'Fig. '2, they depress the rod and thus rock the balance beam 48 to open the electric switch 49. This breaks the electric circuit through the wires 51, 52 and deenergizes the magnet with the result that the incoming cans B are no longer attracted to the transfer device A but are diverted into the lower auxiliary outlet runway F as explained above.

Where the magnetic transfer device A is used in a runway without a divider C as shown in Fig. 3, as in the delivery of cans B from one level to another along an inclined or declining path of travel, the device may be arranged in such an inclined or declining position adjacent the desired path of travel of the cans to effect the desired result. Usually in such runways, the travel of the cans is continued in the same direction and in a single line procession. In such cases it is often desired to omit the feature of deenergizing the magnet and hence a permanent magnet or magnets may be used instead of electromagnets.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes edge 41 of the stripper plates 40 and thereby delivered into the upper or main outlet runway B.

When the outlet runway D becomes jammed for any reason, and the cans back up in the runway as shown in Fig. 2, provision is made to deenergize the magnetic transfer device A and thereby allow the cans B from the inlet runway D to roll through the gap in the divider, along the steeply sloping bottom wall '25 and into the lower or auxiliary outlet runway F. For this purpose the upper or main outlet runway E is provided with a conventional runway control switch 45 of the character disclosed in United States Patent 1,806,879, issued May 26, 1931, to H. W. Lindgren on Runway Switch and Control Therefor.

Briefly this switch 45 comprises a rod 46 which extends longitudinally in the outlet runway 'E,'between the angle irons 23, 29 one end of the rod being anchored and disposed below the path of travel of the cans B through the runway. "1' he opposite endof the rod 46 extends up may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. In a can runway system, an inlet runway, a pair of outlet runways comprising a main outlet runway aligned with said inlet runway and an auxiliary outlet runway offset from said inlet runway, a divider unit connected with said runways, said unit having a gap between said inlet runway and said main outlet runway and having a steep sloping bottom wall connecting said inlet runway with said auxiliary outlet runway, a magnetic transfer device disposed above the gap in said divider unit, said transfer device comprising electromagnet means having a series of adjacently disposed magnetic fields of progressively increasing intensity for attracting and accelerating said cans along said transfer device across said gap from said inlet runway into said main outlet runway, and a control device located in said main outlet runway and connected with said electromagnet means and operable by cans backed upin said main outlet runway for deenergizing said magnet means to release cans therefrom into said auxiliary outlet run- 7 way.

' path.

3. A magnetic transfer device for propelling rolling magnetizable cans along a path of travel through a runway and the like, comprising a plurality of adjacently disposed electromagnets of different strengths, said electromagnets being arranged in the increasing order of their strengths adjacent the path of said cans to set up a series of magnetic fields of progressively increasing intensity for attracting said cans toward said electromagnets and for advancing them along said path, and control means operable by cans in said path for energizing and deenergizing said electromagnets dependent upon the number of said cans operating thereon.

4. A magnetic transfer device for propelling rolling magnetizable cans along a path of travel through a runway and the like, comprising a plurality of adjacently disposed magnets of different strengths, said magnets being arranged in the increasing order of their strengths adjacent the path of said cans to set up a series of magnetic fields of progressively increasing intensity for attracting said cans toward said magnets and for advancing them along said path, and nonmagnetic guide and stripper means disposed adjacent said magnets and spaced therefrom at progressively increasing distances substantially proportioned to the strengths of the magnets for guiding the cans along said device and for stripping said cans from attraction of the magnets at the termination of their advancement along said device.

5. In a can runway system, an inlet runway, an outlet runway, and a magnetic transfer device disposed between said runways and connected thereto for transferring rolling magnetizable cans from said inlet runway to said outlet runway, said magnetic transfer device comprising a plurality of adjacently disposed magnets of difierent strengths, said magnets being arranged in the increasing order of their strengths adjacent the path of the cans to set up a series of magnetic fields of progressively increasing intensity for attracting said cans and for accelerating them along said transfer device for delivery into said outlet runway, and a guide and stripper plate having a tapered edge disposed adjacent and declining from said magnets for guiding the cans along said transfer device and for stripping the cans from said device at the termination of their advancement therealong.

6. A magnetic transfer device for propelling rolling magnetizable cans along a path of travel over a runway or the like, comprising a plurality of magnets of different strengths disposed above said path of the cans, and nonmagnetic guide and stripper means below and spaced from said magnets and disposed above said path of the cans, said magnets being arranged in the increasing order of their strengths in the direction of travel of the cans to set up a series of magnetic fields of progressively increasing intensity for attracting said cans upwardly and away from' said runway toward and against said guide-and stripper means and for advancing said cans therealong, whereby said cans are caused to roll along said guide and stripper means and to be stripped from attraction of the magnets at the termination of their advancement along said guide and stripper means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,020,943 Bachelet Mar. 19, 1912 2,274,677 Eberhart Mar. 3, 1942 2,276,472 Eberhart Mar. 17, 1942 

